Europe set to take another giant step

PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL CHAMPION CHASE PREVIEW:IRELAND'S 2009-10 National Hunt campaign ends in the crescendo of this week's Punchestown festival, but Sizing Europe's presence in the Day One highlight, the Boylesports Champion Chase, resonates with meaning for next season.

Henry De Bromhead’s outstanding novice, unbeaten in five starts over fences, takes on his seniors in this afternoon’s €140,000 Day One feature with seemingly the steeplechase world at his feet.

After a hugely-impressive Arkle victory at Cheltenham last month, De Bromhead spoke of upping Sizing Europe in trip and how he would love to try him at three miles.

And yet today he takes on 10 high-class opponents at the minimum trip and seemingly with every chance of graduating to open class in style.

“I suppose we are taking on the older ones a race earlier than if we waited until next season, but we did the same with his first run over fences too,” De Bromhead said yesterday. “He is used to doing things earlier than the normal protocol.”

That initial start over fences happened here last May and Sizing Europe has since won twice more at Punchestown. In fact, he first really started to make an impression at this festival three years ago when beating a certain Big Zeb over hurdles.

The two-mile champion misses today, along with Master Minded, but 2008 winner Twist Magic represents the Paul Nicholls team, and with Tony McCoy substituting for the injured Ruby Walsh, the combination of McCoy and Nicholls will concentrate the minds of punters who are expected to bet up to €10 million a day throughout the week.

Twist Magic again had an unhappy Cheltenham, almost running away down the walkway to the track before being pulled up in the Queen Mother, and along with some of these he has had quite a busy campaign up to now.

Tom Cooper’s initial reaction after Forpadydeplasterer finished runner-up for the eighth time in his last nine starts at Aintree under two weeks ago was to pull stumps for this season.

Significantly, though, last year’s Arkle winner is pulled out again and is reunited with Barry Geraghty today.

His old rival Kalahari King fell early in that same race in Liverpool, and trainer Ferdy Murphy said: “He’s grand and I’m delighted to see there is a reasonable sized field. We don’t want a muddling race and there should be plenty of pace.”

Willie Mullins, who is guaranteed another trainers’ championship, having twice as many winners as his nearest rival, along with more than €2 million in prize money, runs the trio of Barker, Scotsirish and Golden Silver, who has been the biggest earner for Mullins this season.

Golden Silver would prefer ground far easier than what will be on offer after recent watering at Punchestown, but the Sizing Europe team have no worries on the score.

“They’ve put plenty water on to make sure the ground is safe but our horse loves good ground anyway,” De Bromhead said.

All of which can make today’s feature an exciting glimpse into the future.